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Shaila Hanscom | Fritzi Gallery | Under Restoration
January 22, 2019 @ 23:00 - March 10, 2019 @ 21:00
January 22 – March 10, 2019
Vernissage: Tuesday January 22, 2019, 6-8 p.m.
The Ottawa School of Art is proud to present the work of OSA Diploma Students:
Shaila Hanscom
Shaila Hanscom is an Ottawa based artist who is focused primarily on the medium of ceramics and is currently in her third and final year of the Fine Arts Diploma program at the Ottawa School of Art. In 2017 Shaila was awarded the Lillian Raport Memorial Fund Scholarship as well as the Fritz Allgoewer Memorial Scholarship in recognition or artistic merit. In 2018 she was the recipient of the Ottawa Art Association Fine Arts Scholarship and the Lillian Evanchick Memorial Sculpture Scholarship. Shaila has exhibited her work in the Ottawa area.
In this exhibition, typical nonrepresentational organic shapes and minimalistic arrangements of Shaila’s ceramic installations draw the viewer into a place of contemplative introspection. In her work Shaila intuitively weaves solicitous connections between the ‘body, mind and spirit’, and the ‘materiality and process’ of the medium.
“My work is the communication of mental health within visual expression; the expression of individual experience, and the movement of the body during spiritual and cognitive fluctuation.” – Shaila Hanscom, Artist
Artist Biography
Shaila was born in Ottawa Ontario. She was raised during the chronic illness of a parent. Shaila became very aware of the effects of this illness and watched as they were holistically healed, as the years went by. The illness showed Shaila that the body is directly linked to the mind in holding emotions and trauma. That if the mind’s health is suppressed it will manifest in physical aspects. During her parent’s journey of healing Shaila watched and learned with them about the connections between the mind and body. In later years Shaila started her own journey of mental health awareness; with the same parent helping her and being a great support.
Shaila’s mental health journey stems from anxiety and depression. This highly influences her work as she uses ceramics to let the body work through the subconscious. The meditative motion and free movement of working is her way of processing. When Shaila was first diagnosed there was a sense of shame that was pressing on her. This is her way of taking back her power over her mental health and writing her own narrative. In her work there is a dialogue between material and concept that is manifested in the movement. Mental Health is a daily awareness and it is her desire for it to be maintained just as physical health. Shaila is using this process to understand, live and heal on a daily basis, to allow herself grace to continue her journey as it is experienced.
Artist Statement
My work is the communication of mental health within visual expression; the expression of individual experience, and the movement of the body during spiritual and cognitive fluctuation. Mental health is constantly changing in each individual; through my work I strive to give a point of view of living with anxiety and depression. To show something beyond statistics that proves you can live with a mental health challenge and have a full life.
I use clay to create a dialogue between my body and my subconscious, allowing any movement to come out as I work with the clay. Ceramics is my healing for my mind; it allows me to reach past my anxiety and depression and to create a nonverbal explanation. I believe that communication goes beyond the verbal and into a deeper realm when you observe powerful expression of experience.The experiences that transform your soul, and move you physically are the movements I want to capture in my work. I enjoy listening to how my body and mind are physically impacted by events, ideas and experiences holistically. The cognitive and spiritual release during my work is important to me as it allows me to understand and process things and to move in a new way.
Com.x is about communicating all expression of the mind and spirit through the body.
https://www.facebook.com/S.Hanscom.x
Insta: @s.hanscom.x
Shaila Hanscom
Curriculum Vitae
Shaila Hanscom
https://www.facebook.com/S.Hanscom.x
Insta: @s.hanscom.x
Education
Ottawa School of Art, Downtown Ottawa — Fine Arts Diploma
2016 – will finish in 2019
Three years of Post Secondary education in Fine Arts. Completed two years of three, will be completed in 2019.
Public Installation
July 2016- RBC Bluesfest, Lebreton Flats, Ottawa ON.
Group Exhibitions
April 2017- Trinity Art Gallery, Shenkman Arts Center. Young at Art
Solo Exhibitions
Jan 2018- Lee Matasi Gallery at The Ottawa School of Art “Erosion and Existence” Ottawa, ON.
Publications
March 26, 2018 by Victorya Montbleau: https://artottawa.ca/shaila-hanscom-erosion-and-existence/
Honors
Rotary Visual Arts Award. Recognition for artworks created in 2015-2016.
Young At Art (ArtEast) Senior. Winner for a painting displayed at the Young At Art exhibition. 2017
Fritz Allgoewer Memorial Scholarship. OSA, Recognition of artistic merit in 2017.
The Lillian Raport Memorial Scholarship. OSA, Recognition of artistic merit in 2017.
The Ottawa Art Association Fine Arts Scholarship. OSA, Recognition of artistic merit in 2018.
Lillian Evenchick Memorial Sculpture Scholarship. OSA, Recognition of artistic merit in 2018.
